Enceladus Plume Search, Nov. 27 Options

[jmknapp]

Interesting item in the science plan kernel (S16) just released to the NAIF website:

OBSERVATION_ID: S1629

SEQUENCE: S16

OBSERVATION_TITLE: Plume Search

SCIENCE_OBJECTIVE: Hope to detect/observe plumes, whether from volcanic activity or geysers.

OBS_DESCRIPTION: Point and stare.

SUBSYSTEM: ISS

PRIMARY_POINTING: ISS_NAC to Enceladus (0.0,5.0,0.0 deg. offset)

REQUEST_ID: ISS_018EN_PLUMES001_PRIME

REQUEST_TITLE: ENCELADUS Geyser/Plume Search

REQ_DESCRIPTION: 1;ENCELADUS Geyser/Plume Search 1x1xNPp -- 3 different exposures

BEGIN_TIME: 2005 NOV 27 19:00:00 UTC

END_TIME: 2005 NOV 27 20:00:00 UTC

[Bill Harris]

Whew.

I'm not as up on the entire archive of Enceladus images as I should be, but do we have a set of earlier images of the south polar region?

--Bill

[jmknapp]

Too bad there isn't plume evidence on the dark limb though, rather than just where one might expect a "diamond ring" effect?

[JRehling]

Too bad there isn't plume evidence on the dark limb though, rather than just where one might expect a "diamond ring" effect?

Yeah, it's enough to make a jury consider acquitting... but I think this is a clincher for anyone who doesn't want to pop the champagne prematurely: Instead of one flare due to a bright limb, there are three distinct ones, with darkening inbetween. If we were merely seeing supersaturated brightness bleeding out, why wouldn't it bleed in the areas between the plumes, too? After all, they have more bright limb near them than the two outer plumes do.

This is a done deal -- Enceladus is venting. Now the interesting questions are: What is the shape and volume of the reservoir that is providing the fireworks? What is the access from subsurface to surface? And can we drop a submarine in there?